1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to visual display apparatus. In particular, this invention relates to an image simulator for providing a wide angle visual display to a trainee pilot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are available in the prior art a wide variety of visual display systems which may be utilized as a training device for flight simulation. In particular, a number of such systems of the prior art incorporate therein a computer image generator which provides a visual image to be displayed upon a reflective display screen by a visual projector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,653 to A. M. Spooner illustrates the state of the art in the field of the present invention. There, a helmet mounted arrangement for projecting an image into a pilot's line of sight is disclosed. The image is presented onto a viewing screen as two images spaces slightly apart, with the right image polarized to be visible by only the right eye of the pilot, and the left image similarly polarized from the left eye. The scene viewed may be from a variety of sources, including a computer image generator.
In addition, U.S. Patent Application entitled Pilot Helmet Mounted CIG Display With Eye Coupled Area of Interest, by J. F. Harvey, W. S. Chambers, and J. J. Kulik, Ser. No. 104,521, illustrates the use of a computer and computer image generator to generate a visual image for display upon a reflective display screen.
While performing quite well for their intended purpose of generating a visual image to be displayed on a reflective display screen, a malfunction of unavailability of either the computer or computer image generator renders the above mentioned systems inoperative. In addition, a device is needed for generating a simulated computer generated image so as to test the aforementioned systems.